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Bautista maintains overall lead in All-Star voting

Cabrera third among AL outfielders with other Blue Jays in running

Visit MLB.com/Vote to decide which Major Leaguers will participate in the 2014 Midsummer Classic at Target Field on July 15

By Gregor Chisholm
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MLB.com |

TORONTO -- Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista continued to lead the Major Leagues in fan voting for the upcoming All-Star Game when the latest ballot update was revealed Monday night.

Bautista finished the latest round with 2,906,878 votes. The only other American League players above the two-million mark are fellow outfielder Mike Trout (2,544,658) and first baseman Miguel Cabrera (2,030,773).

The 33-year-old Bautista is attempting to lead all players in voting for the second time in four years. In 2011, Bautista received 7,454,753 votes to become the first player in franchise history to lead the Majors in All-Star balloting.

Bautista also is looking to get voted in as a starter for the fourth consecutive year. There have been nine American League outfielders who have enjoyed that honor in the past: Reggie Jackson, Dave Winfield, Rickey Henderson, Kirby Puckett, Ken Griffey Jr., Manny Ramirez, Vladimir Guerrero, Ichiro Suzuki and Josh Hamilton.

The only player in Blue Jays history who earned four fan-elected starts was second baseman Roberto Alomar (1991-94). Bautista, who has reached base safely in 68 of his 71 games played this season, leads the AL with a .436 on-base percentage and 53 walks, ranks third with 51 runs scored and sixth with 139 total bases.

Melky Cabrera also maintained his lead for the third and final starting job in the AL outfield with 1,454,528 votes. Oakland's Yoennis Cespedes (1,111,613) is fourth and Baltimore's Adam Jones (1,053,228) sits fifth. Cabrera previously made the All-Star team when he played for the Giants in 2012.

Three other Blue Jays are still in the mix for a starting job. Shortstop Jose Reyes ranks fourth with 745,928 but trails New York's Derek Jeter (1,810,451) by a significant margin. Designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion's ranked fourth at his position with 1,049,898 votes. Third baseman Brett Lawrie is fifth with a total of 657,365.

Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- online or on a mobile device -- using the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com Ballot Sponsored by Experian until Thursday, July 3, at 11:59 p.m. ET. The 2014 All-Star Game will be played at Target Field on Tuesday, July 15.

Fans may submit up to 25 online ballots, but they can also earn a one-time bonus of 10 additional online ballots. To access these additional online ballots, you must be logged into your MLB.com account when you submit any online ballot. If you do not have an MLB.com account, register on the site in accordance with the enrollment instructions for a free MLB.com account.

Fans this year once again can participate in the Home Run Derby Fan Poll. Fans will have the opportunity to select three players in each league who they would most like to see participate in the Home Run Derby. The 2014 Home Run Derby will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Radio in the United States beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, July 14.

The 2014 American League and National League All-Star teams will be unveiled on the 2014 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show during the weekend of July 5-6, with further details to follow on MLB.com. Immediately following the announcement of the AL and NL All-Star rosters, fans can begin voting to select the final player for each league's 34-man roster via the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com Final Vote Sponsored by Experian. Fans will cast their votes from a list of five players from each league over the balloting period.

And the voting doesn't end there. The final phase of All-Star Game voting will again have fans participating in the voting for the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet. During the Midsummer Classic, fans will vote exclusively online at MLB.com via the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote Sponsored by Pepsi, and their voice will represent 20 percent of the overall vote that determines the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.

The 85th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 200 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.